With many thanks to the incredibly talented Holly for the inspiration for this piece. For more ideas, take a look at her Etsy page HollysFlowerShoppe and prepare to have your heart melted at the sheer beauty of her work!

Blush - the very name of this pink has all the connotations of old-fashioned modesty, purity and romance when just the look from the man of your dreams was enough to send a delicate flush to your maidenly cheeks!

So it is no wonder that it is such an appropriately wonderful colour for a bride to choose for her bridesmaids - or even herself, as shown in the fabulous image above of a bride with her heavenly Bloomsbury Flowers bouquet. For a slightly sassier impact, these talented London florists have married the blush flowers with darker pinks and greens. But for a more chaste, delicate look add plenty of cream and ivory, as the beautiful bride did below. I love the addition of the pearl jewellery which goes so well with her maids in their pretty blush pink gowns.

One of the best things about blush bridesmaid dresses is that they complement girls of every hair colour, which is another reason why it's a great choice. The blonde and brunette bridesmaids in the fab Adam Barnes Fine Art Photography above look every bit as divine as the gorgeous redhead in Jenny Haas' photograph below. And what an added coup, to get married when the cherry trees are in blossom - wow, now that is truly neat planning!

Roses are such a brilliant flower at the best of times, but when you choose a blush pink wedding theme, they come into their own. As you can see from the cascade of roses on the wedding cake below and in the pastel table decoration further down (with thanks to Jenny Haas),  you can achieve an effect of sublime beauty using an abundance of pale pink roses of all shades. The subtlety of the blush in the table napkins, cloths and candles prevents the room from looking too stark whilst still retaining an aura of delicacy and innocence.

By their very nature, blush pink gowns are dainty, exquisite and feminine, so why not go the whole hog and add that extra level of diaphanous beauty by choosing bridesmaid dresses enhanced with lace like the five below from Dessy.com?
And don't forget to keep the make-up light and natural with just a touch of lip gloss for a truly romantic look.

With huge thanks to the talented Jenny Haas and Adam Barnes Fine Art Photography for their photos of real weddings, and to Bloomsbury Flowers for their glorious featured image of the blushing bride and her divine bouquet.

As soon as you get engaged, you'll find yourself getting inspiration from all manner of sources, whether you are on the look out or not. But definitely one area to actively seek advice from will be your florist.

And why is that, I hear you ask?

Well, firstly, a good florist will have a brilliant eye for colour and structure, not just for the bridal bouquet but for the venue too.

And secondly, he or she will be able to tell you what flowers are in season when you are getting married. Of course nowadays you can pretty much get whatever blooms you want all year round, but if you choose blossoms that are out of season (a) you will pay for a lot more for it and (b) there will be fewer actual stems for the florist to pick from.

So if you are undecided about where to start with your wedding colours, make an appointment with the florist and go from there. Most wedding planners or venue organisers will have a preferred list of florists for you to choose from but if you are starting totally from scratch, do an internet search or ask around for florists near the venue and then book in a few meetings to view each company's portfolios and see which one resonates.

Take this outrageously vibrant Spring bouquet from Bloomsbury Flowers; just seeing this image wants me to immediately pick jewel tone bridesmaid dresses using all of those clashing, fabulous colours.

Divine inspiration from Bloomsbury Flowers 

Spring is a particularly brilliant time to choose such rich jewel colours due to the many varieties of anemones, sweet Williams and ranuncula available, as well of course as the perennial rose! Just look how lush this image below is of the maids in their jewel tone bridesmaid dresses with the rich purples, pinks and reds of their posies:

With thanks to  Tulle and Chantilly for that gorgeous shot.

Alternatively, don't go for flowing, romantic gowns but rather opt for maids in sassy, cocktail length dresses, high heels and bright lipsticks to give you a riot of colour, like the ones below from Dessy.com:



The dresses above are: (top row from left) Alfred Sung D668 in Strawberry, Alfred Sung D644 in Firecracker and Alfred Sung D683 in Watermelon; (bottom row from left) Alfred Sung D687 in Sangria and lastly Alfred Sung D700 in Majestic.

Feeling energised? Then hotfoot it off to your florist and start the ball rolling today!

When I was researching how to make your Maid of Honour stand out at your wedding, I came across this gorgeous photo (below) from Lucy Davenport Photography where the Maid of Honour's celadon dress complements beautifully the pale pink of the other bridesmaids' gowns, enhancing the overall effect to perfection.

Celadon is a term that was coined for ceramics, originally in China, which were created using a type of glaze and jade green which resulted in a soft, green-blue tone. Beautiful in its own right, you can see from the gorgeous Dessy bridesmaids below how fabulous celadon is when used as a single colour for your bridesmaids.

But I believe that its beauty is almost enhanced beyond measure when set amongst other colours and I would seriously consider mix and match bridesmaid dresses with celadon for an exquisite bridal party.

Take these images below, again from the talented Lucy Davenport Photography, where the bride has chosen to mix blush and passion (how very Jane Austen!) with celadon resulting in a beautiful colour combination which works brilliantly with the flowers too.

For quite a different look, choose duskier tones to mix with celadon such as (from left) oyster, blush, taupe, palomino and suede rose as shown below.

Possibly my favourite combination of all is the one below. This more energetic and oh-so-pretty colour palette combines celadon with blush, rose, punch and suede rose. The introduction of the green prevents the overall look from being too saccharine and again, ties in so fabulously with the flowers - absolutely wonderful.

And last but not least, mix the celadon in with other greens and blues for a nautical, refreshing look like the one below from Brideside via Pinterest.

Shopping for a wedding dress can be time-consuming, overwhelming, but extremely rewarding. Like most other aspects of planning a wedding, finding your fairytale dress takes time and the right set of helping hands. The pressure to look perfect can truly take a toll on your mind and leave you feeling lost in the process. Keeping this helpful shopping timeline in mind to help you stay focused when scouring high and low for the dress of your dreams.

A Year to Six Months in Advance

• Choose a budget for yourself. It's important to set limitations for yourself so that you have a starting point of what places or designers you can shop at. Remember to include extra costs like alterations, accessories, and taxes when creating your budget.

• Get an idea of your silhouette. Take the time to research which silhouettes, materials, and lengths of dresses would best suit your style and body type. Looking at bridal magazines, blogs, and runway shows are the best outlets for fashion forward ideas and inspiration.

• Bring your girls and start shopping. Choose those closest to you that are going to be supportive but also very honest. Your maid of honor will most likely be your go-to gal when it comes to dress details. Once you have your crew assembled, you are free to hit the ground running.

Six to Three Months in Advance

• Purchase your dress. You will want to give yourself plenty of time for alterations and such, so making your purchase well in advance will save you from potential stress and agony.

• Choose your matching accessories. Once you have found the perfect dress you will want to start looking for a veil, shoes, jewelry, and flowers that compliment the look.

Three to Two Months in Advance

• Have your first fitting for any alterations. A wedding dress is meant to fit your body flawlessly. It's most likely that it will take a few fittings for alternations for you to get to your desired fit. Find a tailor who has lots of experience in gowns that you can trust.

Eight to Two Weeks in Advance

• Have your second or third fitting. Depending on what you are having altered, you will need to return to your tailor a second or third time to make sure your dress is exactly how you envisioned.

• Practice walking in your ensemble. Some gowns and shoes can pose some difficulty when walking. Take the time to practice walking down the aisle so that there is less possibility for an accident on your special day.

Photos by Pasha Belman Photography, Laura Gordon Photography, Erich McVey, Kate Wenzel Photography, Bartlett Pair Photography, and Tatyana Merenyuk Designs.

I'm sure you made an intention or two as the famous ball dropped at midnight on the first of the month. Now that 2016 is in full swing, everyone feels the urge to become more conscience about what they should focus on for the future. Take the new year as the opportunity to set goals for yourself as a bride as well. As you enter the many stages of wedding planning, be sure keep a few promises to yourself to ensure your happiness and health on your special day. 

1. I Will Eat Clean

Not only will eating healthy help you to look your best on your wedding day but it will also help you to feel your best.



2. I Will Take Time For Myself

In the chaos of planning a wedding it is so easy to get stressed and overwhelmed. Taking the time to go to a yoga class or meet up with a friend for lunch will slow down your pace and keep your mind at ease.

3. I Will Spend My Money Wisely

It's easier said than done to set a wedding budget and actually stick to it. However, making smart financial choices on things like the dress, venue, and caterer will have you thanking yourself for years to come after the wedding. Plus with so many DIY ideas out there, it's so easy to have a wedding thats stylish and affordable!

4. I Will Have More Patience

Patience is one key characteristic that people often lose when stress is in the air. Have patience with your groom, bridesmaids, and family members to keep your relationships strong.

5. I Will Communicate Effectively

It's important to remember that while you are the primary decision maker, this wedding is ultimately about you and your beloved. Communicating about emotions and ideas will help the two of you sail through the planning process.

6. I Won't Expect  Everything to Be Perfect

There will inevitably be bumps in the road to your wedding as well as in your marriage in general. Don't get caught up in the making all the tiny details absolutely perfect, because everything always comes together beautifully in the end.

Photos by Gagan Dhiman, Johnny Miller, Dan Campbell, Riverland Studios, and Arnaus Dubois Photography.

One of my best (male) friends recently proposed to his Russian girlfriend. Being one of the world's most thoughtful and charming of men (and a Virgo to boot, which I always find a huge help), he had planned the proposal enough to know the location and what he was going to say, but not so much that the romance of the moment was lost in a sheet of to-do notes.

With thanks to Ian Britton for this beautiful photo of a romantic sunset via Freefoto.com

As the two of them strolled back hand in hand from a late lunch in London on Christmas Eve, they stopped to watch the sun setting over the Thames and he said,



It is the most romantic way to propose that I think I've ever heard!

He had wisely ensured that neither of them had had too much to drink at lunch, he had already decided that they would go to Paris to buy the ring together, and he really meant what he said - he wanted nothing more than to grow old with his beautiful wife and help her follow in the footsteps of her blissfully happy grandparents.

They told me how they had subsequently had such a romantic time in Paris the following week visiting many of the joyous jewellers in Place Vendôme before buying an exquisite, emerald-cut diamond set in platinum, flanked by a diamond baguette on each side - divine!

My friend laughed at his naiveté when, remembering that his fiancée's favourite colour was green, he had enquired about emerald engagement rings in one of the shops - the assistant had taken them downstairs to a vault to view an emerald ring that was absolutely spectacular. My friend discreetly enquired as to the price tag; at ‚¬70,000 he decided to hot-foot it back to the ground floor and stick to the diamonds!

While that happy couple were in Paris in the last week of 2015, I travelled to Rome which I find one of THE most romantic cities in Europe, if not the whole world. There, on New Year's Eve, I witnessed an American gent take his girlfriend's hand, studiously throw a coin into the fountain, pause to make a wish and then down on one knee he went before popping the question. After she had said yes and the surrounding crowd and whooped and given their congratulations, the new fiancee asked why he had thrown the coin in before he asked her. "I wasn't taking any chances so I wished that you'd give me the answer I wanted!" he replied.

The romantic Trevi Fountain as capture by Stephen Lyons for Freefoto.com

Go on - give it a go!